The Prophetic Messiah Foretold

Introduction: A Child Announced Before Time

How many of you as parents knew every detail of your child’s life before they were even born?

We remember the moment we discovered a child was coming

of the billions of people who have been born, how many were described with specific details centuries in advance?

How many had their birthplace, family line, ministry, suffering, death, and resurrection foretold before they took their first breath?

The answer is only One.

The Bible tells us plainly: Jesus’ coming was not an accident of history.

He was not an accident or afterthought.

The plan of God to send His Messiah was laid before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8).

The prophets spoke of Him, the psalmists sang of Him, and the promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David all pointed to Him.

His birth, His life, His death, His resurrection, and His return

they are central to God’s plan of redemption

they are proof that the God of Israel keeps His word.

Last week we looked at John the Baptist, whose birth was announced by Gabriel.

But today we come to the greater announcement

Luke 1:26–38 ESV

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

The Announcement

Luke tells us that in a small, seemingly insignificant village called Nazareth,

Gabriel appeared to a teenage girl named Mary.

She was betrothed to Joseph, a descendant of King David.

“You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end” (vv. 31–33)

Do you catch how loaded this is?

Gabriel’s words to Mary are not just a polite baby announcement

This is not like a Hallmark card moment

it is the fulfillment of centuries of expectation.

The Announcement

this is heaven itself breaking into history with a declaration that the promises of God,

spoken through the prophets, are now becoming flesh and blood.

Think about it: every covenant God made with Israel, every promise to Abraham, every song of David, every vision of Isaiah and Daniel

all of it is converging in this one message to a young girl in Nazareth.

The world had been waiting in darkness for centuries, and suddenly light bursts forth.

it’s as if the entire Old Testament is leaning forward,

pointing to this very moment.

God has not forgotten, God has not abandoned His people

The Greatness of the Child

Gabriel says first: “He will be great.”

Now, there have been many “great” men and women in history—Caesars, philosophers, generals, presidents, kings.

But none of their greatness was foretold by prophets centuries in advance.

None of them fulfilled dozens upon dozens of divine promises in their lives.

Jesus did.

He was great in His teaching.

Even His enemies admitted, “No one ever spoke like this man” (John 7:46).

His words carried the authority of heaven.

He didn’t simply quote Scripture—He was the living Word.

He was great in His works.

He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, calmed storms with a word, fed thousands with a handful of bread, and raised the dead.

His miracles were not just random displays of power—they were foretold (Isaiah 35:5–6) and authenticated His identity as Messiah.

Isaiah 35:5–6 ESV

5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;

He was great in His victory.

He did not merely teach truth—He embodied it.

He was tempted in every way, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15).

And when He laid down His life, He declared victory over sin, Satan, and the grave.

Unlike every other religious leader in history, Jesus predicted His resurrection and then walked out of the tomb to prove it.

Hebrews 4:15 ESV

15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

The Greatness of the Child

No wonder Paul could say, “At the name of Jesus every knee will bow” (Philippians 2:10).

And here’s the challenge: if every knee will bow—yours, mine, the atheist’s, the skeptic’s, the religious hypocrite’s, the politician’s—then the real question is when will you bow?

Will you bow now in faith, surrendering to Him as Lord and Savior, or will you bow later in judgment when it is too late?

Because let’s be honest—if Jesus were merely a great teacher or prophet, we could admire Him, quote Him, even ignore Him without consequence.

But if He is who Scripture says He is—the Son of the Most High, the promised Messiah, the risen Lord—then neutrality is not an option.

You either confess Him now or you will confess Him later.

You either receive His mercy today or you will face His justice on that Day.

So the apologetic truth collides with the personal demand

Jesus is not just one option among many,

He is the only One before whom every knee will bow.

The only question left is—will you do it willingly now, or unwillingly then?

The Divine Nature of the Child

Gabriel calls Him “the Son of the Most High.”

For Jewish ears, this was unmistakable.

This was not a poetic title—it was a claim to deity.

El Elyon—“God Most High”—was the title Abraham’s priest Melchizedek used for Yahweh (Genesis 14:18).

It was used in the Psalms to declare God’s supremacy over all nations.

And now Gabriel applies it directly to the child in Mary’s womb.

Athanasius (c. 296–373 AD) – On the Incarnation “He became what we are, that He might make us what He is.”

The Divine Nature of the Child

This child is not merely human.

He is God in the flesh.

And that little phrase—God in the flesh—is at the very heart of Christianity.

Theologians call it the Incarnation.

It means that the eternal Son of God, who has always existed with the Father and the Spirit, stepped into human history and took on a real human nature.

He did not stop being God;

He did not pretend to be human.

He became fully man while remaining fully God.

The Divine Nature of the Child

Why does this matter?

Because if Jesus were only God and not man, He could not represent us or die in our place.

And if He were only man and not God, His death would have no power to save anyone beyond Himself.

Only One who is truly God and truly man could bridge the gap between a holy God and sinful humanity.

This is why John says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14),

Paul affirms, “In Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (Colossians 2:9).

The Incarnation is not just a Christmas doctrine—it is the foundation of our salvation.

The baby being held in Mary’s womb was at the same time holding the universe together by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:3).

That is the mystery and the glory of Christ: God with us, Immanuel.

The Divine Nature of the Child

The New Testament leaves no ambiguity:

“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).

“Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).

“Before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58).

“I and the Father are one” (John 10:30).

The early church didn’t invent the idea of Jesus as divine.

The angel declared it.

The prophets declared it.

Jesus Himself declared it.

And His resurrection vindicated it.

The Prophetic Fulfillment of the Child

Justin Martyr (c. 100–165 AD) – Dialogue with Trypho the Jew “For the prophets have proclaimed His two advents: the one, indeed, in which He is set forth as suffering, inglorious, dishonored, and crucified; but the other, in which He shall come from heaven with glory, when the man of apostasy, who speaks strange things against the Most High, shall venture to do unlawful deeds on the earth.”

Irenaeus (c. 130–202 AD) – Against Heresies “All the prophets prophesied of this one Christ, whom they foretold as coming; and their prophecies harmonize and agree with one another, and proclaim His advent.” Alfred Edersheim (1825–1889) – The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah “Viewed in the light of the Old Testament, Jesus of Nazareth was not only the Messiah of Israel but the goal of Israel’s history and the fulfillment of all its institutions.”

The Prophetic Fulfillment of the Child

Here’s where the apologetic weight comes in: Jesus’ life fulfilled prophecy with such precision that it leaves no room for coincidence.

Born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14).

Born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2).

From the line of David (Isaiah 11:1).

Called out of Egypt (Hosea 11:1).

Betrayed for thirty pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12–13).

Pierced in hands and feet (Psalm 22:16).

Buried in a rich man’s tomb (Isaiah 53:9).

Raised from the dead (Psalm 16:10).

1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000

Peter Stoner, a mathematician, calculated that the probability of even eight of these prophecies being fulfilled in one man is 1 in 10^17.

That’s a one with 17 zeros after it.

one hundred quadrillion

100 Quadrillion seconds = 3.17 Billion Years

a stack of 100 Quadrillion dollars would pass Pluto’s orbit

It is like covering the state of Texas two feet deep in silver dollars, marking one, blindfolding a man, and telling him to pick the right one on the first try.

That’s the statistical impossibility.

And yet Jesus didn’t just fulfill 8 prophecies—He fulfilled over 300.

This is why we say Jesus’ coming is not mythology or legend—it’s history written in advance

The Significance of Israel and the Jews

Now let’s pause here.

Why does Luke—and why does Gabriel—keep anchoring Jesus’ story in Israel’s story?

Why not just say He’s the Savior of the world and leave it at that?

Because God made a covenant.

He promised Abraham that through his descendants all nations would be blessed (Genesis 12:3).

He promised David that one of his descendants would sit on the throne forever (2 Samuel 7:16).

He promised Israel that Messiah would come through her.

David Baron (1855–1926) – The Jewish Problem:

Its Solution, or Israel’s Present and Future “The preservation of the Jewish nation is the standing miracle of history, and it is the pledge of their glorious future. The same God who kept them will yet fulfill in them all that He has spoken.”

Martin Luther (before his later writings against Jews, in That Jesus Christ Was Born a Jew, 1523) “It is indeed true that we cannot deny that Christ was a Jew, born of a virgin, of the seed and lineage of Abraham.”

The Significance of Israel and the Jews

But listen—Messiah is not a generic religious figure.

He is not a Western invention, not a vague “spiritual guide,” not a moral influencer we can fit into our own cultural molds.

Messiah is deeply, unshakably, thoroughly Semitic.

He comes from the line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

He is the Son of David. He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah.

Every prophecy that pointed to Him is rooted in God’s promises to Israel.

When the Church divorces Jesus from His Jewish identity, we end up with a counterfeit Christ—a “Gentilized” version stripped of His prophetic weight and covenantal significance.

That’s why so many churches today preach a sentimental Christmas Jesus, a motivational Easter Jesus, or a therapeutic “life coach” Jesus.

But Gabriel did not say to Mary, “You will bear a life coach.”

He said, “You will bear the Son of the Most High, who will sit on David’s throne and reign over Jacob’s house forever.”

That is Israel’s Messiah

The Significance of Israel and the Jews

And here’s the danger: if you lose sight of Jesus’ Jewishness, you will lose sight of God’s faithfulness.

Because if God can cast aside Israel and ignore His promises to the Jewish people, what’s to keep Him from casting aside His promises to the Church?

No—Scripture is clear: the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable (Romans 11:29).

The very existence of the Jewish people, preserved against all odds, is God’s billboard that He keeps His word.

So let’s be clear: the baby born to Mary is not just God in the flesh

He is the Jewish Messiah, the fulfillment of every promise God made to Israel,

the One through whom salvation comes to the nations.

Christianity is not cut off from Israel; it is grafted in.

To ignore the Semitic roots of Messiah is to saw off the very branch we are sitting on.

Romans 9:4–5 ESV

4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.

The very existence of the Jewish people, preserved against all odds, is living proof that God keeps His word.

And the rebirth of Israel as a nation in 1948 is a flashing prophetic sign that the God who promised Messiah’s first coming is setting the stage for His second.

The Prophetic Announcement of His Return

Here’s where we land today.

If every prophecy of Messiah’s first coming was fulfilled with precision, what do you think about the prophecies of His second coming?

The Bible actually speaks more about His return than about His birth.

For every prophecy of His first advent, there are two or three about His second.

Zechariah 14:4 says He will stand on the Mount of Olives.

Revelation 19 says He will return with power and glory to judge the nations.

Matthew 24 says the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all tribes of the earth will mourn.

Acts 1:11 says just as He ascended, He will return in the same way.

The Prophetic Announcement of His Return

The prophetic announcement of Gabriel to Mary is not just about a child to be born—it’s about a King who will return.

Notice verse 33: “He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

That reign has not yet been realized in its fullness.

That awaits His second coming.

And here’s the application for us: Just as Israel waited for Messiah’s first coming, we now wait for His second.

And the signs around us—the wars and rumors of wars, the rise of antisemitism, the birth pains in creation—are shouting that His return is near.

Conclusion: Responding Like Mary

How do we respond?

The same way Mary did: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).

For the new believer, that means surrendering to the Messiah who came to save you.

For the seasoned believer, it means living with urgency and hope, knowing the promises of God are certain.

For all of us, it means standing with Israel, proclaiming Messiah, and longing for the day when He will split the skies.

Jesus is the Messiah foretold.

He is the Messiah revealed.

And He is the Messiah returning.

So the question is: Are you ready?